


Midsummer Eve

by WhoYouNotMe



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alpha/Omega, Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Angst, Knotting, M/M, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-15
Updated: 2018-07-15
Packaged: 2019-06-10 21:30:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,780
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15300447
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhoYouNotMe/pseuds/WhoYouNotMe
Summary: Midsummer Eve is the celebration that concludes almost a week long wooing ritual and up to the last day Baekhyun thinks he knows who his secret admirer is - Changmin, the omega's enormous crush. But... Is he? While Baekhyun spazzes about "Changmin's" gifts, he fails to notice the disappointment and hurt in his best friend's eyes. Will Chanyeol be able to win the omega over or will he have to face a refusal and a broken heart?





	Midsummer Eve

**Author's Note:**

> Decided to start to post here too. ^^ Hopefully, you'll enjoy this slight angst and lame smut. ^^

Baekhyun couldn’t believe he was just days away from the event he had been waiting for ever since he got interested in alphas. Each wolf pack had their own ideas about life and he felt happy that he had been given a chance to join a pack with such rich traditions as theirs. What was the event he was so badly waiting for?

The Midsummer festival, a week long celebration of mates, during which those without a mate would find them. According to the plan he had been taught when he was little, during the first five days alphas would send anonymous gifts to the omegas they liked. Then on the sixth day omegas would be given a chance to send a gift back. Finally, on the seventh day they would celebrate the Midsummer Eve, which would include a celebration where omegas would be given the option to choose their mate. Some awaited it with hopes of finally meeting someone, others had already met their chosen ones, yet waited for the Eve to make their bonding special.

Baekhyun? Well, Baekhyun knew who he wanted his mate to be – Changmin, an alpha a few years his senior who had caught Baekhyun’s eyes from the first time he saw him. Ignoring the fact that the alphas were the ones choosing their potential mates to woo, Baekhyun could already imagine everything Changmin would give to him for the first five days of the festival.

“Oh, do you think he knows what my favourite flowers are? Maybe I should give him a hint?”

“Calm down, Baek. If he’ll decide to send you flowers, he probably will find a way to know which ones you like.”

“But I want to make it easy for him!”

“Baek.”

Baekhyun’s rants about how amazing Changmin is weren’t new for Chanyeol. He was already rather used to his best friend spazzing about the popular alpha and Chanyeol had always tried his best to listen to what the omega was saying, even if the constant talks about it were making his heart sink a bit. Honestly, Chanyeol didn’t know when he had fallen for Baekhyun but he knew he had fallen hard. Still, he also knew that he had no chances to actually be with him, considering how preoccupied Baekhyun was with his crush. All of Chanyeol’s friends had told the alpha to forget about Baekhyun but…

_How does someone forget someone they are so close to? They don’t understand cause they have never had such a connection with anyone. Even if it’s one-sided…_

Chanyeol just watched Baekhyun jump all around the room, not stopping his rant about what Changmin is going to give him and how Baekhyun was going to graciously put on Changmin’s prepared flower wreath during the bonding ceremony.

“I know he’ll make it look beautiful!”

Taking a deep breath, Chanyeol tried to recall again how this obsession had started. It wasn’t like Changmin had ever paid special attention to his best friend. Sure, he had invited Baekhyun to a dance during one of the previous festivals but Chanyeol refused to believe that it could have triggered something like this.

“Baekhyun, I don’t want to burst your bubble but you have to keep in mind that Changmin might not choose you.”

The mention of such a scenario stopped the omega on the spot and it was clear Baekhyun had taken offence.

“Why not!? Am I not good enough for him??”

“I didn’t say that but what if he isn’t good enough for you?”

“Impossible! He’s amazing!”

“You’ve never even properly spoken to him, yet you want to mate with him!?”

“So?? Stop shoving your nose in other people’s business and figure out who you will chose as your mate.”

Although Chanyeol wanted to protest that it was his business because he wouldn’t choose anyone else but Baekhyun as his mate, the alpha kept his mouth shut and answered with a mere judging glance. The omega wanted to be angry but soon the hype about the festival returned and Baekhyun was jumping all over the place again.

“Stop being so sour! Do you understand how important the Midsummer Eve is? We will meet our mates, bond and get our own families!! Can you imagine our kids playing together? Cause I can!”

_Why not our kids, Baek?_

Of course, Chanyeol would never ask that. The alpha released a mere sigh and decided to go out for a walk. He didn’t need constant reminders that Baekhyun will never be his. Especially not when he was trying to gather enough courage to try to woo his best friend with those damn gifts.

“I’ll be back.”

“Okay! If you meet Changmin, give him some hints about paradise birds! Although wait… Do they even grow in this area??”

“They are hard to find but I’m sure he’ll manage.”

“Great!”

With that the alpha closed the door behind him as he wasn’t ready to listen to the continuation of Changmin praises.

_What’s so unlikable about me? Why doesn’t he see me as an alpha? Is it because we’re so close? Too close, maybe?_

Chanyeol tried to find the terrible flaw he must have but nothing came to his mind. Maybe some would call him arrogant for it but the alpha knew perfectly well that he was a good mate material – loyal, caring, loving. Heck, he was one of the good looking ones too. At least all omegas that had fallen for him before had always praised him and his personality.

_Why did I have to fall for the one I have no chances to get?_

“You’re thinking too loud.”

Chanyeol hadn’t even noticed when Sehun had started to walk next to him but quite frankly he was thankful for the company.

“He’s still ecstatic about Changmin?”

“When isn’t he?”

“He thinks Changmin will choose him?”

“Yup.”

“And you still want his crazy ass??”

“He’s not crazy, he’s just… A little lost? I don’t know.”

“So lost that he’s running after an alpha that doesn’t even know he exists? Although you know what… Sounds kind of familiar.”

Sehun signalled with his eyes just in case Chanyeol didn’t understand that it was a jab at him but it only made the older alpha roll his eyes in annoyance.

“Ok, ok, I’m just kidding. So… Have you decided yet? Will you try to woo that crazy ass back to sanity?”

“I don’t know and stop talking as if he’s not your friend.”

“Is he? By the way he talks, Changmin is the only friend he has.”

Chanyeol wanted to object but Sehun’s words had some truth in them.

“I don’t know. I guess I might as well try? There’s nothing to lose.”

“Right, you’ll just make yourself a laughing stock in front of everyone.”

“Why would I be a laughing stock? It’s nothing unusual for an omega to refuse a proposal. Sure, the one who gets the omega is the winner but… Being the loser is just part of the process, right?”

“That doesn’t mean you have to get yourself into the competition with literally 0.0000001% chances of winning.”

“Do you think it’s that low?”

“You don’t think so?”

“Honestly, with how Baek has been acting for the past year… I’d bet I’m going to be his only option.”

“Do you really want him to choose you just because he has no other choice?”

“Of course, not! But… Maybe this could open his eyes? Maybe he’ll finally see me as an alpha? Even if we don't end up mating, he could see me as something more, right?”

“Chances are slim but ok, I won’t bring you down even more. It’s your decision, not mine.”

“Exactly. I… I just wish he would stop talking about Changmin.”

“Well, he is a tough competition. You’ll have to figure out something extra special to woo Baekhyun.”

“The gifts don’t worry me. We’re best friends so I know everything about him. It’s his final decision that’s stressing me out.”

“You won’t know until the ceremony. All I can say is… Do your best, fate will do the rest.”

“Yeah. So… Who will you try to woo?”

“Nope, I’m not telling. It’ll be a surprise for everyone.”

“You can enjoy my misery, yet I can’t laugh at yours?”

“Mine isn’t a misery, Yeol. I’m pretty sure it’ll work out and I’ll have someone to settle with. Not everyone try to get themselves into tragedies like yours.”

“Tragedies? You make it sound like someone will die.”

“Who knows? What if he refuses you?”

“You think it’s something I would kill myself over? Hell no.”

“The next ceremony is in what… Five years?”

“So? That’s the perfect time to lick my wounds and get back on my feet. Besides, all this festival crap is made up for traditions and sentiment. There’s nothing wrong with mating without the damn ceremony.”

“If you say so.”

Sehun decided not to push further, although he knew well just how much Chanyeol wanted Baekhyun to accept him. Chanyeol might deny it now but deep down he probably still dreamed about Baekhyun wearing his flower wreath in the ceremony.

“I do wish you luck, Yeol. You know I would never wish anything bad for either of you.”

The sincerity in Sehun’s voice reassured Chanyeol.

“I know. Thanks. Ok, I think I need to go back to Changmin’s little fanboy.”

“I have a fanboy?”

_Of-fucking-course._

Chanyeol cursed himself for not knowing better and discussing everything so openly. Discussing Baekhyun’s obsession with the object of his obsession was one of the last things the alpha had ever wanted to do, especially now that the competition was to rise.

“Baek… Baekhyun likes you.”

“Oh, that small omega that usually hangs out with you two?”

“Yeah.”

“I had a hunch since he always seems so… I don’t know… I don’t want to be rude, Yeol, but he seems to be desperate for my attention.”

_No shit, Sherlock._

“Yeah. He kind of likes you a lot.”

“He’s not really my type. I usually go for someone well built. Who can fight for themselves, you know? Plus, he’s what... Four years younger than me?”

_He’s fucking perfect, you asshole._

“Well… I might think about it but do tell him not to get his hopes up.”

“Sure.”

With that the oldest of the three turned around and resumed his way towards his hut. The other two remaining speakers voiced their thoughts only after Changmin had vanished from their sight.

“It’s a bit too late for that, huh?”

“Probably. We’ll see how this goes.”

“Good luck.”

“You too.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After spending the last day before the festival trying to get the damn paradise birds, Chanyeol still hadn’t firmly decided to go through with his plan just yet. He needed one final push and that push came in the form of the gift tables. Like every previous ceremony, the clearing right next to the pack’s village had been cleared and small tables with the omegas’ names had filled the area. Some tables of the more popular omegas seemed to already be bursting from gifts, signalling that the competition this year could be really tough.

However, seeing that Baekhyun’s table was one of the few empty ones helped Chanyeol to finally man up and start this little wooing game. In order to make the whole process more interesting, the alphas were ordered to place the gifts without anyone noticing it. Considering the size of the flower bouquet he had made, Chanyeol was thankful for the forest on the other side of the clearing, as it allowed him to sneak around more easily. Having located Baekhyun’s table, the alpha carefully set the fragile flowers down, hoping that his best friend will like them.

Once all alphas had placed their gifts, it was time for the omegas to head to the clearing and bring home whatever they had found there, regardless if it was an actual gift or just mere sadness. All Chanyeol could do was sit in his and Baekhyun’s shared hut and wait (they had been living in the same little house since they were kids so no one thought much of it). His wait turned out to be short though as mere ten minutes later Baekhyun burst through the door, dancing with the bouquet.

“Look, Channie, they are perfect! And the scent is so sweet! Try it!”

Of course, Chanyeol acted as if he hadn’t just sneaked around for miles, trying to get them to the pack’s home, taking a faint whiff of the smell.

“Just as you like them?”

“Yes!! Thank you so much for telling him, Yeollie! You’re the best!”

Although the feeling was really bittersweet, Baekhyun’s bright smile really made it up to him and the alpha watched with a fond smile how the omega gently placed the flowers in a vase before jumping towards a self-made calendar and marking a square.

“First day – success!”

The sudden outburst made Chanyeol laugh and at that moment he knew that the huge distance, the high climb and getting stung by random plants and insects was definitely worth it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For the second day of the festival Chanyeol decided to go with something a bit simpler – strawberries. He knew those were Baekhyun’s favourite berries and he still remembered all the times they had sneaked into the forest as kids just to eat mouthfuls of berries. However, already back then Chanyeol got used to picking strawberries for Baekhyun rather than himself. Hell, he doesn’t even like berries that much but seeing Baekhyun with strawberry tinted lips was everything and so much more.

As expected, that evening Baekhyun returned from the gift tables with another huge smile playing on his lips. The fact that the omega had managed to eat half of the small basket on his way home made Chanyeol chuckle again.

“You told him about strawberries too? Ahh, this is amazing! Do you want some?”

“No, eat.”

“It’s so, so tasty!”

At this point Chanyeol had to admit that seeing Baekhyun smile was his favourite view ever. He watched as the omega ran to the calendar to mark another day, while continuing to munch on the berries.

“What exactly is that?”

“This?”

“Yes.”

“A calendar for the Midsummer festival! I drew the whole week and I’m slowly marking off the days to both mark how the day went and not to forget to get Changmin a gift.”

The mention of the other alpha felt almost like a stab in Chanyeol’s heart but he chose to ignore it.

“As if you could forget anything about it.”

“Well… True.”

Chanyeol went to stand next to Baekhyun to see what exactly the omega was doing and once Baekhyun flashed a proud smile, the alpha noticed a small piece of strawberry stuck next to the corner of his lip, right next to his mole. Upon pure instinct Chanyeol reached out and brushed it away, yet he couldn’t help but let his hand linger against Baekhyun’s cheek, while the alpha’s eyes were trained on the other’s lips.

“What’s wrong?”

Baekhyun’s voice brought Chanyeol out of his musings.

“Nothing, just a piece of a berry.”

“Thank you~”

Baekhyun offered another pleased smile and Chanyeol had to literally force himself not to kiss the beautifully tinted lips right then and there. As the alpha pulled away, Baekhyun could feel a rather awkward atmosphere set in. This was certainly a first and Baekhyun surely didn’t like it so the omega decided to just keep the conversation going.

“Anyway, who are you wooing?”

“Haha, as if I’m going to tell you.”

“Oh, come on! Who is it?”

“You told me to keep my nose out of your business so I’ll ask you to do the same.”

“Ok, fine.”

Baekhyun tried to act as if he were offended but just a moment later he was back to eating strawberries and being his cheerful self.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Starting from the third day of the festival Chanyeol decided to make his gifts a bit more personal, hoping that maybe that would make Baekhyun wonder if they were indeed from Changmin. Of course, this also made him more anxious when waiting for Baekhyun to return with his gift. Luckily, Baekhyun seemed to enjoy his gift as the omega was sporting as big of a smile as the previous days.

“Channie! You’ll never guess what I got! Look!”

Baekhyun practically ran towards his best friend, showing off a chain in his hand with a small moonstone heart in the pendant.

“Nice.”

“Do you know what it is?”

The alpha just stared in confusion.

“A pendant?”

“Well, duh! I mean, what the crystal is??”

“Oh, that’s a moonstone.”

“Really?? Is it found around here?”

“Yeah, I think I know a place. But they sure don’t just come shaped like hearts. Or maybe this one was smoothened down by water or something?”

“Oh, could be! It’s so cute~”

Noticing that Baekhyun had missed a detail, Chanyeol tried to discreetly point it out to him.

“Hey, there’s something on the back?”

“Really? What is it?”

“Just the letter C.”

“Of course, C stands for Changmin!”

“Umm, Baek… You know he’s not the only alpha in this pack with a name that starts with a C, right?”

“I know, I know. But I also know it’s him!”

Chanyeol had a sudden urge to facepalm but the alpha successfully held himself back.

_It’s ok, it’s alright. The next clues will help._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next morning Chanyeol didn’t waste any time and went straight to Sehun’s hut. As expected, the younger alpha was still rolling around, enjoying the comfort of his bed but Chanyeol didn’t feel bothered. They were close enough for this not to be considered awkward or rude.

“Yeol, why so early?”

“It’s not early. You’re just a sleepy head. But I need your help.”

“Why?”

“I need a bottle of your oil for fur.”

Chanyeol had no clue how Sehun had discovered the special liquid to make a wolf’s fur shiny and perfectly smooth but then again he knew that if anyone would’ve made it, it would be Sehun. The young alpha loved to look presentable and was well known for always looking his best. However, that wasn’t the only thing he was known for as his unwillingness to share the secret was also equally famous. Of course, it displayed itself now as well.

“Yeol, you know I don’t share.”

“Oh, come on! Please! Just a tiny little bottle!”

“I know you want Baekhyun’s ass but I doubt that making yourself look good will be enough.”

“What do you mean – making myself look good? I’m already good looking! I… I want to gift him a bottle.”

“Wouldn’t that give away too much about his secret admirer?”

Chanyeol just shrugged but Sehun could read him like a book.

“That’s actually what you want, huh? For him to guess that it’s you?”

The older alpha could only sigh.

“It’s kind of annoying to keep giving him gifts and then listen to how amazing Changmin is…”

“You knew it would be this way when you started it.”

“Well, now it’s time to turn it around! And I need your special stuff to make that change.”

Sehun wanted to protest about how pointless the other alpha’s plan truly was but Chanyeol’s hope filled puppy eyes made him release a sigh of his own before rolling towards his bed side table, opening a drawer and collecting a small bottle.

“Do you know how to use it?”

“Of course, not.”

“Put 3 drops on a brush and carefully brush through the coat. Don’t soak it though or you’ll make your lover boy greasy as fuck.”

“He’s not my lover boy.”

“But you want him to be.”

Sehun wiggled his eyebrows in amusement and Chanyeol knew there was no way to stop the younger one from making fun of his situation. Unwilling to hear anymore weird descriptions addressed towards Baekhyun, Chanyeol thanked the other and headed through the door.

“I owe you.”

“Yes, you do.”

Chanyeol didn’t even have to look back to know that Sehun was sporting a cheeky grin. The thought of having to do a favour for the other was a bit unsettling as Sehun could always come up with the most unusual demands but the alpha hoped that something might make the other go easy on him. Deciding not to worry himself even more, Chanyeol concentrated on the main task at hand – getting the bottle to Baekhyun’s gift table in time. Baekhyun deserved the best and Chanyeol knew he would do anything to provide it anyway.

Considering the fame of Sehun’s special oil, Chanyeol got more nervous than before. He was laid out on the bed in his and Baekhyun’s shared hut, wondering if Baekhyun’s reaction to the gift would differ from the previous nights. Part of him wished for Baekhyun to barge in and wrap his hands around Chanyeol’s neck. But the other part kept reminding him that it all might not end in his favour so for a moment the alpha wondered if this move had been too brave for his own good. The dilemma of his thoughts stopped only when his best friend showed up in the doorway.

“Yeol, you won’t believe! He managed to get Sehun’s special oil!! You know Sehun never shares with it so how on earth did he get it!?”

The alpha carefully observed as Baekhyun kept admiring the small bottle in his hand.

“M-maybe it’s not from Changmin?”

The sudden question made the omega furrow his brows.

“What do you mean? You think… No, Sehun wouldn’t try to woo me. He has a grand plan that he keeps as secretive as possible. Much like you do.”

“I didn’t mean Sehun but… Maybe someone close to him?”

Baekhyun seemed to be in thought for a bit before starting to list off all the alphas in their friend circle.

“Sehun has a plan. You have a plan. Jongin is going for Soo. That leaves… Yifan? No, he’s going for Tao. Who else do we know?”

Chanyeol couldn’t help but shrug, trying to hide the anger rising up in him. This was getting ridiculous. He was about to stand up and walk away when Baekhyun dropped the subject and returned to looking at the bottle.

“Yeollie, do you know how to use it?”

“3 drops on a brush and you’re good to go.”

“But… How do I brush myself?”

The utter confusion on the omega’s face actually managed to make Chanyeol chuckle. Baekhyun’s logic wasn’t faulty but the cuteness radiating from him definitely softened the alpha more than he would like to admit. Having picked up a brush from his bedside table and taken the small bottle out of Baekhyun’s hands, Chanyeol sat down on the floor next to the bed and tried to get comfy.

“Shift and come here.”

Baekhyun watched as the alpha placed a few drops from the bottle on the brush and quickly followed the orders. Soon a silver grey wolf stood in front of Chanyeol, definitely much smaller in size than the alpha himself but nonetheless beautiful.

“Lay down so I can brush you.”

The omega obeyed rather carefully but as the bristles started to comb through his fur, Baekhyun couldn’t help but release pleased hums every now and then, making Chanyeol smile. The alpha tried to focus enough to do a proper job but even in his wolf form Baekhyun was amazingly beautiful, making it rather hard for the alpha to fully concentrate. That’s why Chanyeol barely registered the signs that Baekhyun was about to move so the fact that the omega suddenly was on his back and showing off his belly rather confused him.

“What are you doing??”

It was only logical that Baekhyun was unable to say anything in his wolf form and so the omega just kept wiggling around until Chanyeol finally started to brush his chest.

“You want to be pretty from all angles, huh?”

Another pleased hum followed, making Chanyeol let out another laugh.

“Fine, fine.”

About 10 minutes of laughing and wiggling around later, the alpha finally deemed Baekhyun as ready. The omega didn’t hesitate much, quickly rolling around, standing up and shaking his fur all over for it to take a nice shape. Then the wolf looked at Chanyeol again with an expectant look, almost as if asking how he was looking.

“Beautiful.”

The alpha’s answer clearly satisfied the wolf as he released a happy bark and jumped from side to side for a few times, reminding Chanyeol the way they used to play when they were just cubs.

_You’re always beautiful._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chanyeol couldn’t believe that the fifth day of wooing had already come. Fifth day and he hadn’t succeeded much – Baekhyun still believed that the gifts were from Changmin and the omega still hadn’t seen Chanyeol as more than just a friend. Figuring that his chances couldn’t get any worse, the alpha decided to go really simple with the last gift – a piece of wood with the date “14 June 2012” engraved on it. He knew that it most likely won’t ring a bell to Baekhyun but a little part in him still hoped that it was the final push for the omega to understand everything.

However, this time the alphas didn’t have the luxury of just resting and waiting for the omegas’ reactions as the pack’s home was starting to get filled with decorations for the grand finale. Some would say it was way too early for it but the pack believed that it was better to get the job done early and then spending the final day with celebrations instead of working themselves off and having no energy for the dances.

Baekhyun had, in fact, walked past Chanyeol a few times, carrying some decorations and letting out a joke or two about how the alpha was struggling to carry the huge tables. Still, the omega didn’t seem to have any questions for him, making Chanyeol realize that his chances were up. Baekhyun didn’t know it was him. Baekhyun didn’t see him as a potential mate. Baekhyun was in love with Changmin.

However, what the alpha failed to notice was that whenever Baekhyun wasn’t busy with talking to someone or carrying something, he allowed his mind to wander, trying to figure out what the hell had happened on 14 June 2012.

_I met Changmin a few years later so there’s no way it’s related to me but… Why give me a gift that has no relation or meaning to me?_

The omega had gone through so many scenarios that now he was starting to convince himself that maybe all the gifts weren’t actually meant for him.

_What if Changmin had mixed up the tables? But the names on them were written so clearly… How?_

Next Baekhyun came to the realization that if Changmin really wasn’t the alpha who gave Baekhyun all the gifts, the omega would most likely embarrass himself when the time comes for the omegas to give a gift to the alphas. He had planned out what he wanted to give to Changmin but…

_There’s a high chance that I won’t be the only one giving him a gift… I will look desperate and for what??_

Baekhyun had seen omegas run after popular alphas before during the previous Midsummer festival when he himself was too young to participate. He still remembered how he and Chanyeol had watched the desperate omegas try to show off to the alphas, practically making themselves seem like a bunch of clowns.

_How… Have I really become one of them?_

As the omega looked around, he noticed several omegas eyeing Changmin who had lost his shirt somewhere between the third and fourth round of bringing logs to the main fire pit. Of course, Baekhyun would lie if he said he didn’t like the view but somehow now it just didn’t seem enough. He saw all the omegas practically drooling in their spots and he sure as hell knew he didn’t want to be among them when they all will fight for the perfect place on Changmin’s gift table. Or even worse – be one of those crying when Changmin will select the omega he wants.

_I’m not going to make a fool out of myself._

Baekhyun didn’t know why his mind suddenly felt so clear but, of course, his heart still had a tiny hope that maybe, just maybe everything was just as he had imagined. Still, having made a strict decision not to embarrass himself, the omega gathered all the courage he could muster and made his way towards Changmin. As always, the alpha greeted him with a friendly smile.

“Hey, Baek!”

“Hey, listen… Do you have a minute?”

“Sure.”

Thinking that he had something that could be the key to it all, Baekhyun pulled out the piece of wood he had received that day and showed it to Changmin.

“Does this mean anything to you?”

“14 June 2012? Not really.”

“Nothing special happened on that day?”

“Not that I remember. Why?”

Ignoring the alpha’s question, Baekhyun barely kept himself back from facepalming.

“You’re not it, huh?”

“I’m not what?”

“The alpha that’s trying to woo me.”

“Sorry. Chanyeol did mention that you have quite a crush on me but… I don’t know, I just haven’t seen you around enough for you to stand out. Again, I don’t want to be mean but…”

“No, no, it’s ok.”

Changmin was surprised by the omega’s reaction. Usually omegas would hope for his attention and cause a whole scene when he didn’t give it to them. Yet now that he had openly voiced his thoughts, the omega in front of him seemed as calm as ever.

“I guess I had kind of become crazy about you.”

“Haha, no worries. In fact, I’d say that the fact that you hadn’t stood out before is good because usually omegas do all sorts of crazy shit to get to me. It’s really annoying.”

“Well, that’s what hormones do to us, I guess.”

The alpha watched Baekhyun twirl the piece of wood around his fingers as a moment of silence set in between them. Again, something unusual in his daily interactions.

“You have no clue who it is?”

“Honestly… No. I had thought it was you but since it’s not... I don't know what to think anymore.”

“Want me to help you with some guesses?”

“Sure.”

Baekhyun sat down next to the alpha, still focusing on the date in his hand.

“What was your first gift?”

“Nothing too special – a bouquet of flowers. Although… Maybe it was special – those were my favourite flowers.”

“Ok, doesn’t sound like much. The second one?”

“A small basket filled with strawberries.”

“Let me guess – your favourite berries?”

“Yeah.”

“Ok, seems like the alpha knows you or knows someone who knows you. The third gift?”

“A pendant with a moonstone that was shaped like a heart.”

“Does moonstone symbolize something to you?”

“Not really. I mean, I was fascinated when I saw one as a kid but… It’s not that special.”

“The fourth gift?”

“A bottle of Sehun’s fur oil.”

“What!? He doesn’t give it to anyone!”

“I know!”

Both laughed at the alpha’s sudden outburst and Changmin definitely didn’t miss how cute Baekhyun’s eye smile was.

“Do you think it could be Sehun?”

“No, he has some master plan going on. Besides, we’re close but definitely not THAT close.”

“And this piece of wood was the final one?”

“Yeah…”

It really didn’t seem like much and Changmin resorted to scanning the pack members around them to see if anyone stood out. Then he locked eyes with an alpha who seemed to be directing death glares his way.

“Chanyeol?”

Baekhyun’s eyes widened at the mention of his best friend.

“What about him?”

“Could it be Chanyeol?”

“What? No, we’ve been friends since we were kids. He feels almost like a brother to me.”

“But… Does he feel the same?”

Now the omega looked at his best friend as well, making Chanyeol look away and quickly busy himself with talking to Sehun.

“It makes sense, Baek. You said he’s your best friend so he probably knows your favourite flowers and berries. He’s close to Sehun too, right?”

“Yeah, he’s like his second best friend.”

“See? That explains the oil too.”

“Chanyeol…”

Baekhyun’s gaze lingered on the said alpha before he realized that Changmin probably wanted to go back to work.

“I should go now. Thanks for the help!”

“Sure.”

The omega’s calmness still fascinated Changmin as he watched Baekhyun make his way back to the decorations he had left behind. No signs of upset or spazzing. None of the usual signs of craziness. It almost felt like a fresh breeze of air had hit him. But then his gaze fell back on Chanyeol and the other alpha didn’t hesitate to roll his eyes towards him.

_Interesting._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Once the preparations were finally deemed as ready, the whole pack headed out to wash and have a refreshing swim in the nearby lake. Without really realizing it, Baekhyun distanced himself from Chanyeol but the alpha didn’t think too much of it.

_Maybe he’s just tired? Maybe Changmin told him to avoid me… Does it really matter anymore?_

Picking up the alpha’s miserable mood, Sehun tried to get Chanyeol out of his musings with a splash of cold water right in the face. The alpha’s eyes widened at the sudden contact and for a moment Sehun started to rethink his life choices only to find himself pushed backwards into the water. Both alphas started to wrestle in the cold water, drawing the attention of the others. Most of the alphas cheered and followed, creating a massive water fight, while omegas just watched in amusement.

There were a lot of eye candies in the water but Baekhyun’s attention was caught by one alpha in particular. He watched as Chanyeol grabbed Sehun by the hand and both started to push each other back and forth until Chanyeol’s legs gave out. That wasn’t the end of it though as Chanyeol pulled Sehun down with him and now they were playfully fighting to know who would drown who in this duel. Not that they would actually hold the other under water long enough, of course.

Baekhyun’s eyes travelled from Chanyeol’s face to his biceps, from his face to his strong hold on Sehun, from his face to the perfect abs. Chanyeol definitely stood out among the others. His height, his built, his silly laughter.

“Hey, you’re alright?”

Baekhyun broke his stare to look at Kyungsoo.

“Yeah.”

“That doesn’t sound like you. Why are you staring at Chanyeol?”

“No, it’s nothing. Let’s go.”

With that Baekhyun pulled Kyungsoo away from the other omegas to finally wash up.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Baek, what’s wrong?”

Baekhyun threw a glance back to see Chanyeol running up so that they could go to their hut together.

“Nothing. Why?”

“You’ve been avoiding me the entire night. That’s not like the usual you.”

“Oh, so now everyone knows what is and is not like me? If I don’t pay a certain role, suddenly it means something?”

The omega’s sudden outburst made Chanyeol furrow his brows and the kicked puppy expression made Baekhyun immediately regret allowing his emotions to get the best of him.

“Sorry, Yeol. I’m just… I’m freaking tired. Let’s go home and finally sleep.”

“Ok.”

Baekhyun’s explanation didn’t really convince the alpha but Chanyeol decided not to try his luck and keep his mouth shut. If there was even the slightest chance of a miracle happening, the alpha knew that an argument would only decrease it. Of course, he was curious as to what had Changmin said to Baekhyun but he wasn’t sure if asking would be the right choice. Still, he needed to at least make sure that the other alpha hadn’t offended his best friend.

“Did Changmin do something? Did he say something to you?”

“What?”

“Cause if he offended you in any way, I will kick his ass to the freaking moon!”

Chanyeol tried his best to act tough, finally making the omega smile.

“No, everything is fine.”

Baekhyun’s gaze lingered on Chanyeol for a bit.

“Thank you, Yeol.”

With that Baekhyun opened the door to their hut and walked in. Chanyeol hesitated a bit but soon followed. Both got into their sleeping clothes and Chanyeol got comfy in the bed before beckoning the omega to get in. Sure, most would think that sleeping in each other’s arms was very out of line for best friends but Chanyeol and Baekhyun didn’t care.

Both of them hadn’t actually been born in the pack. Chanyeol had been taken in when he was about two years old when the pack had found his family in the forest. As far as Chanyeol knew, his family had travelled through the woods when an angry bear attacked them. Chanyeol’s father had tried to protect his family but he turned out to be no match for the wild animal. Chanyeol had never asked for too many details but the elders had told him that it was a miracle that he had actually survived it.

Baekhyun joined the pack about two years later when both he and Chanyeol were almost five. One of the elders had found the little boy wandering around the woods all alone. The boy didn’t talk much and definitely didn’t show any signs of remembering what had happened. He was just… There. The omega was a lot smaller and younger than the rest of the kids so naturally everyone picked on him and made him feel as unwelcomed as possible.

Everyone except for Chanyeol. The little alpha had felt such a treatment on his own skin and he refused to repeat it. Maybe it was because of sympathy, maybe because he could relate to Baekhyun more than to the pack but Chanyeol soon started to hang out with the boy. They spent their days wandering around on their own and making up fun games for only the two of them. Chanyeol also taught Baekhyun some tricks to defend himself.

As time passed, the other kids got used to the couple and treated them better but that didn’t change the fact that Baekhyun and Chanyeol only relied on each other. They were always together and so no one was really surprised or objected when Baekhyun moved into Chanyeol’s hut.

It had never been more than that though. Yes, they had spent almost all their lives together now and had been happy doing so.

_But… Could it be more than that?_

Baekhyun raised his head carefully enough not to wake the alpha up and looked at Chanyeol’s half-closed eyes. The sight had always made him laugh but now Baekhyun didn’t feel like laughing. All this time he had begged for the festival to come sooner but only now did he realize what it actually meant.

_If we mate with others… We won’t get to see each other anymore._

No, he didn’t like the thought of that. Chanyeol had always been there for him for better or for worse and Baekhyun couldn’t imagine not being able to go to Chanyeol for advice or not going on longer walks together. The mere thought of not being able to see the giant’s dumb face somehow made Baekhyun’s heart sink.

Then Baekhyun wondered with whom Chanyeol could mate with and somehow Kyungsoo came to his mind. Sure, Baekhyun knew that his friend will most likely accept Jongin’s proposal but Baekhyun deemed him as suitable for imagining the things he wondered about.

The omega tried to picture Kyungsoo actually touching Chanyeol – caressing his check and ruffling his messy hair, massaging the alpha’s back after a particularly rough hunt and sliding his hands over those delicious abs. Finally, Baekhyun’s gaze fell on Chanyeol’s lips and the omega started to wonder how they would feel against his own.

Then his cursed imagination stepped in and he could clearly see Kyungsoo tip toeing and capturing Chanyeol’s lips instead of him. The sight just didn’t seem right but Baekhyun didn’t understand whether it was because he knew that Kyungsoo was Jongin’s or because of something else.

Baekhyun’s train of thought was interrupted by Chanyeol slightly moving in his sleep and throwing his arm around the omega’s side. They were used to being close with almost no boundaries so sleeping so close to each other in each other’s arms caused no problems. But now Baekhyun started to realize that soon this heaven might end. Soon someone else could be in his place. Soon Chanyeol’s arms could be wrapped around another omega.

Baekhyun didn’t know why exactly the idea was suddenly so uncomfortable to him but then the omega had the urge to reach out and caress the alpha’s cheek. It didn’t feel weird or inappropriate. It was just right.

The omega finished the night by returning to the things he had imagined he would like to do with Changmin but now with Chanyeol in the other alpha’s place. Holding hands, hugging, kissing. Again, nothing Baekhyun could think of made it awkward or weird. With those thoughts the omega finally decided to get some sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That morning Baekhyun had practically kicked Chanyeol out of their hut without saying a word. It didn’t seem like Baekhyun was offended or anything but he definitely was hiding something. Still, the only real explanation that came to Chanyeol’s mind was that the omega was just trying to prepare a gift for his crush.

Willing to forget about what was to come, Chanyeol spent the day with Sehun, trying to figure out what the other alpha was up to.

“Who is the target of your master plan?”

“Why would I tell you?”

“Because we’re all in this together.”

“Right. I’m not here for a drama, Yeol. I will get what I want.”

Of course, Sehun was sporting his usual smirk and Chanyeol just couldn’t hold himself back from wiping it off of the other’s face.

“Tell me or I might accidentally propose to them.”

Sehun’s face immediately dropped before the alpha delivered a friendly punch.

“No, you would never. You’re going after Baek and he’s not my target so I’m safe. By the way, we should get going.”

Chanyeol nodded and followed Sehun to the clearing, which was still filled with tables, only now the omega nametags were replaced with the alphas’ names. When the pair entered the area, everyone had already gathered so they could not see their tables from afar. Honestly speaking, Chanyeol knew well that there was nothing waiting for him and so he felt more anticipation for Sehun’s gift, hoping to guess his friend’s grand plan.

Then the pair noticed a huge gathering in one of the clearing’s corners. Pushing past the crowd, the alphas discovered that the centre of everyone’s attention was a table with a huge box in the middle of it.

“Yeol, that’s your table! You got the biggest gift of us all!”

Chanyeol struggled to believe Sehun’s words as he slowly approached the table. He reread the nametag again and again until he finally believed it. He felt Sehun kneel next to him as Chanyeol placed his hands on the lid. Everyone seemed to be watching, while holding their breaths. Releasing a deep breath of his own, Chanyeol finally opened the box and started to take out its contents.

An old plush wolf toy, a bone that seemed to be like a rib from some animal, a small sling shot, a piece of wood similar to the one he had given to Baekhyun with the word “Tuesday” on it, a few rocks smoothened by water and a bunch of paper cranes – with every new piece picked out of the box Chanyeol’s eyes filled with more tears. However, the real breakdown came when Chanyeol let his hand flow through the layer of paper cranes. Some of them were clearly aged but still held together as firmly as the moment they were folded.

“Yeol, I know you got pranked and received a box of trash but keep yourself together, man.”

By the tone of the alpha’s voice Chanyeol could tell that Sehun was being serious, making Chanyeol laugh through the tears. Sure, it might mean nothing to someone who knew nothing about the items given to him but to Chanyeol… It almost felt as if his whole world had been put in a box. There were a few items that confused him a bit but most of the gifts made perfect sense. And Chanyeol knew that there was only one more person to whom they would mean something.

Chanyeol finally wiped away his tears, picked up the box and headed towards his hut, hoping to find Baekhyun there. However, instead he was greeted with two more rocks just like the ones inside the box placed on the bed with a word written on each – “find me”.

Having placed the box on the table, Chanyeol headed out again, knowing very well where his best friend had went off to. The climb towards the tip of the nearby mountain wasn’t too friendly and at some point Chanyeol started to wonder how and if Baekhyun had managed to get to the entrance of the tunnel on his own.

After stepping over the last huge rock in his way, Chanyeol found himself standing in front of the familiar entrance. Without much hesitation the alpha headed inside, walking through the tunnel labyrinth as a pro. He had memorized the whole tunnel system as a kid during the time when Baekhyun had tried to hide from the other kids and got lost in it. Chanyeol had promised to take care of the omega and he sure wasn’t going to let a stupid mountain get in his way.

Luckily, manoeuvring wasn’t THAT hard and soon Chanyeol was taking the final steps towards a small opening. He was still amazed by how they had managed to keep this place a secret for all these years. Noticing that the rock that was guarding the entrance was pushed slightly aside, Chanyeol knew he wasn’t the only one there, at the same time wondering how Baekhyun had managed to move it.

Squeezing through the small gap, Chanyeol finally arrived at his destination – a hidden mountain cave filled with hot springs and moonlight. There Baekhyun was – right in the middle of the room, sitting next to a warm fire that filled the cave with more light. As soon as they locked eyes, Baekhyun’s lips curled into a smile.

“Took you long enough.”

“I didn’t know my gift box included a private meeting.”

“I thought about including the invitation but four rocks seemed a bit too much.”

“Riiight.”

Although normally Chanyeol would sit next to Baekhyun and allow the omega to rest against him, this didn’t seem like the right time for it. This was a make it or break it type of a deal and this was definitely a serious conversation.

“So… You know, huh?”

“That you sent me the gifts? Yes.”

“And? What do you think about it?”

“I’m not sure. The thing is… We’ve always been friends and there have never been any signs that we could be more than that. W-when did it start?”

“My feelings for you?”

“Yeah.”

“I… I don’t know. Maybe since we actually got interested in romance and shit? The only difference was that you kept imagining all these romantic scenarios with everyone else, while I… All I’ve ever seen is you.”

“Why didn’t you tell me anything?”

“How could I? I tried to insert some hints every now and then but you either missed them or… Maybe you just didn’t want to see them, I don’t know.”

The last part visibly made the alpha feel down and a moment of silence set in, as Baekhyun wasn’t quite sure what was his response supposed to be.

“Yeol, I… I guess I’m fucking blind then.”

Chanyeol tried to observe some safe distance from the other, carefully walking around far enough to be out of the omega’s reach.

“Well… What do you want do now that you know about it?”

“I’m still thinking. But let’s talk about the gifts first.”

“What about them?”

“I understood most of them like my favourite flowers and berries, as well as the oil for fur. But what was the moonstone about?”

“Actually, I found it in this cave, in the tunnel right behind you. Turns out there are a lot of them here and I just thought it was cute.”

“Hmm, alright. And this?”

With that Baekhyun pulled out the piece of wood with the date on it and showed it to the alpha. The omega carefully observed the other and Chanyeol’s response certainly surprised him.

“You don’t know what happened on 14 June 2012?”

“Should I?”

“I guess not cause it’s really silly but… Back then we were 14 and during one of our talk filled nights here I… I kind of asked you to be my mate.”

Baekhyun’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

“What!? How can I not remember that??”

“I guess you took it as a joke? Cause it wasn’t a full on proposal. Besides, who just casually asks that in the middle of a conversation.”

The omega started to twirl the piece of wood around his fingers again, trying to recall that night. Chanyeol wasn’t sure if he should be thankful for the effort or offended for Baekhyun forgetting about it in the first place. But eventually the alpha chose the first option.

“Anyway, can I ask you about your gifts too?”

“Sure.”

“I’m pretty sure I know what most of them mean but with you one can never know so... The plush wolf?”

“You gave it to me when I joined the pack. It was yours before that, right?”

“Yeah, the elders were shocked that I actually had let go of it because I never let it out of my hands. Okay, the sling shot?”

“From when you taught me to defend myself against the other kids.”

The fond memories made both of them laugh.

“Your aim was so terrible.”

“Tell that to Changmin.”

The sudden mention of the other alpha immediately changed the mood again.

“What?”

“Remember your first hunting practice with the others?”

“Yeah?”

“They made fun of you for not running fast enough or something?”

“Why do we have to recall that?”

“Well, I still remember how you came back and cried to me about how mean they were being… And I may or may not have sneaked out after you fell asleep to get some revenge.”

“What!?”

“Yeah, I took the sling shot with me, hid in some bushes and… Managed to hit Changmin with a rock. He never caught me but remember the bump he had on his forehead??”

“Holy shit, the one he claimed was a bite from an enormous bee??”

“Yup. I’m not a bee but I delivered.”

Finally, the cave was filled with laughter again.

“Why didn’t you tell me about it before?”

“I don’t know. It just didn’t seem that important. Plus, it happened ages ago.”

“True, true. Ok, the paper cranes?”

“From the time when I wanted to learn to make them. You promised to teach me but you didn’t!”

“Oh come on, I tried my best but you quit after what… The eighth one??”

“Yeah… But, as you could see, I’ve gotten a lot better!”

The pride in Baekhyun’s voice made Chanyeol smile again, at the same time trying to will away the tears suddenly filling his eyes.

“The bone?”

“From your first successful hunt! Remember the first deer you caught? It’s from the same one!”

“I didn’t even keep anything from it.”

“You can thank me later.”

“And the rocks were from here?”

“Yeah, got them from one of the hot springs. I think they could be used for a good massage but who knows.”

“Ok… Well, that leaves this.”

Now it was Chanyeol’s turn to present his own piece of wood very similar to the one shown by Baekhyun just a few minutes ago.

“I wasn’t good with dates yet when it happened but I remember it was a Tuesday!”

“Well, what happened on that Tuesday?”

“Oh, you don’t know what happened on that Tuesday?”

Baekhyun tried to mimic the alpha’s earlier question as best as he could, making Chanyeol laugh again.

“No, no, I don’t.”

“I do apologize that I wasn’t old enough to remember dates or maybe I was just too confused because some random wolf had found me in the middle of the forest and brought me back to a pack I didn’t know but… I know it was a Tuesday when I was made to go outside and “play” with others. I think you remember the mess it ended up to be.”

“The first day you met everyone? Yeah, they sure loved to tease you. I still remember them pushing you down on the ground and smearing dirt all over you.”

“Yeah, that sucked. But you know what saved that day for me?”

“What?”

“An alpha about my age appeared and chased them away. Once only the two of us were left in the playground, the boy approached me and offered his hand. Maybe you can guess what he said?”

Chanyeol was barely holding himself back so that his smile doesn't turn into an actual grin.

“Something along the lines of “Hey, I’m Chanyeol. Who are you?”?”

“More like “I’m Chanyeol, and you?” but close enough.”

Both broke out into laughter again and finally Baekhyun dared to get up and close the distance between them and pull Chanyeol into a giant, slightly awkward hug. At first the omega didn’t understand the weirdness around them but the alpha’s words made it clear.

“Baekhyun… If you do accept my proposal... Please, don’t do it because you feel like you have to or that you owe me something. Just refuse it and I’ll be ok with it.”

“Chanyeol.”

Baekhyun tried to pull away far enough to see the alpha’s face but Chanyeol kept hiding it against Baekhyun’s shoulder and neck.

“Chanyeol!”

A bit unwillingly the alpha finally pulled back and made eye contact with his best friend. However, he sure didn’t expect Baekhyun to caress his cheek and ask for something Chanyeol had hoped for so long.

“Kiss me.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, that way we’ll know. Either it’ll be awkward and we’ll know this isn’t right…”

“Or?”

“Or… It’ll feel right and I’ll accept your proposal.”

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”

Both had their eyes on the other’s lips and even though Chanyeol had really meant his words, Baekhyun laughed it off as a joke before closing the distance between them and softly pressing his lips against the alpha’s. He thought his soul will leave him as the kiss did really feel natural and… Well, right. Starting from how Chanyeol moved his lips against Baekhyun’s to how softly the alpha held the other to how slowly he kept pulling the omega closer. Baekhyun didn’t hesitate to wrap his hands around the alpha’s neck and again – it just felt freaking right. No awkwardness, no weirdness. Only true interest.

“So which one is it?”

Chanyeol’s immediate question as soon as they broke the kiss made Baekhyun laugh.

“Definitely the second.”

“Good.”

With that Chanyeol leaned in again and Baekhyun locked their lips together again, this time feeling a bit braver to explore, even daring to carefully bite Chanyeol’s lower lip, earning him a pleased growl.

“You really are a tease, huh?”

“Always.”

The couple ended up spending the entire night in each other’s arms, remembering the fun and the not so fun moments they had had together, talking about how good they felt with each other and how their possible future together could look like with often pauses for kisses and cuddling. Chanyeol knew that this night didn’t really mean that he and Baekhyun would definitely end up together. In fact, the fears of this night coming to an end kept creeping into his heart but the alpha just tried to will them away to the best of his abilities.

_Even if we don’t end up together… We’ll always have this night._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They had woken up together just in time for the sunrise. Unsurprisingly, no one had really noticed their absence from the pack but that didn’t mean that they could just lay around the whole day. Tonight was the night – the Midsummer Eve. Some waited it with anticipation, others – with fear. And Chanyeol? Chanyeol didn’t know what to feel anymore. He was standing in line with all the other alphas, watching the grand opening in the form of a couple dance performed by the already mated wolves, yet his mind kept swimming back to Baekhyun.

_Prepare for the best, expect the worst._

Chanyeol kept repeating it to himself but all that vanished from his mind once Jeongsu, the leader of their pack, announced the arrival of the omegas. They walked in and stood in line right opposite of the alphas and Chanyeol wondered if it was truly fate that Baekhyun was standing right in front of him. All the omegas had done their best to leave an impression but no one could ever compete with Baekhyun, in his opinion. The omega’s eyes were lightly outlined with charcoal, lips tinted red with wild strawberries, creating an amazing contrast with Baekhyun’s skin. Of course, Baekhyun’s clothes were striking as well – black pants and a black dress shirt, revealing the omega’s collarbones just enough to make the alphas drool, and a wide black belt around his waist to outline Baekhyun’s beautiful curves.

_Stunning…_

The alpha felt breathless for a moment and Baekhyun definitely loved the effect he was having on him, as the omega dared to flash a cheeky smile. Only their leader’s voice could finally get their attention away from each other.

“Let’s start with the omegas who have received one proposal. Do Kyungsoo.”

The said omega stepped forward to stand in front of an empty table. Soon enough Eunhyuk, one of the pack’s elders, appeared with a beautiful bluebell wreath. It was rather small in comparison to the wreaths presented at previous ceremonies but still managed to capture everyone’s attention with its little details and ornaments.

“Proposed by… Kim Jongin.”

Upon hearing his name, Jongin took confident steps towards the table and smiled at the omega he had chosen. He stopped at the marked line and waited for Donghae, another elder, to come up to him and blindfold him. It had something to do with the alpha having no chance to affect the omega’s decision or something like that, Chanyeol wasn’t entirely sure. Once Jongin was deemed ready, Jeongsu spoke up again.

“Now make your choice – if you accept the alpha’s proposal, wear the flower wreath and stand before him. If not – stay where you are. You have 15 seconds to decide.”

As the leader was counting down, Kyungsoo took quiet steps towards the table, gently picked up the wreath and placed it on his head and finally headed towards Jongin. As the final seconds flew away, Jongin was allowed to take off the blindfold and face the omega’s decision. Seeing Kyungsoo standing in front of him only widened Jongin’s smile and the newly formed couple didn’t hesitate to draw each other into a tight embrace. Chanyeol thought he saw Jongin going in for a kiss but that only earned him an elbow in the ribs and so the new couple walked to the side.

“Next, Kim Junmyeon.”

The process was repeated with Junmyeon standing in front of a pink rose wreath. For a moment he wondered who could be crazy enough to think it was comfortable to wear such a thing but then his potential alpha’s name was announced, shocking the slightly older omega.

“Proposed by… Oh Sehun.”

Sehun was the youngest from their litter, while Junmyeon was closer to the older end. Seeing the young alpha in front of him confused Junmyeon.

_What on earth is he thinking!?_

The young alpha made sure to present himself as a mature adult, hoping that the letter he had added to his fifth gift to Junmyeon had explained his feelings well enough for the omega to accept him.

As the blindfold was placed and the leader started the countdown, Junmyeon slowly approached the table and took the wreath in his hands, surprised that the alpha had had enough understanding to remove all the thorns. Still, something didn’t convince Junmyeon till the end and so he placed the wreath back to its place and stepped away. Once the blindfold was removed, Sehun’s face immediately dropped and Junmyeon could swear he saw some tears filling the alpha’s eyes.

“Is there something you want to say to the alpha?”

“Sehun, I… I feel flattered but I do think we should have a tighter bond before taking such a huge step.”

“But my feelings are true!”

The impatience only proved what Junmyeon had feared but the omega decided to give the other a chance. Sort of.

“How about this – it’s not a complete no but… Just not yet?”

As Donghae placed a strong hand on Sehun’s shoulder, the young alpha had no choice but to agree.

“Ok.”

With that both were sent to the side as well and the next omega was called. Chanyeol hated how the ceremony had ended for one of his best friends but he also understood Junmyeon’s reasoning. Sehun wasn’t mature enough for this. Hell, Chanyeol wasn’t even sure why he was even allowed to participate in the ceremony in the first place. For now he could only hope that Sehun will understand his chosen omega and that someday it might end well for him after all. It wasn’t like wolves weren’t allowed to mate without the ceremony. It was simply considered a bit more special this way.

As Chanyeol’s mind kept travelling to all sorts of places, the alpha was suddenly drawn back to reality by Jeongsu’s announcement that the part for omegas with one proposal had ended and the second part for omegas with two proposals had started. Chanyeol and Baekhyun exchanged confused glances, while another table was added to the already presented one. Before either of them could get to the bottom of it, another announcement was made.

“The first omega with two proposals… Byun Baekhyun.”

Baekhyun made his way forward with worried glances towards the alphas in front of him and watched as Eunhyuk brought in the first wreath – a mix of different flowers, making it one of the largest ones so far, but the paradise flowers definitely gave Chanyeol away, making Baekhyun smile.

“Proposed by… Park Chanyeol.”

Now it was Chanyeol’s turn to step forward. Seeing Baekhyun calmed him for a bit but only till Eunkhyuk brought in the second wreath. Chanyeol wasn’t sure if it could be called a flower wreath though as his opponent had made it from wild strawberries. Sure, there were small white flowers here and there but it was clear that the other alpha had wanted to impress with the berries, showing off his uniqueness or some shit. Then the announcement came.

“Also proposed by… Shim Changmin.”

Chanyeol’s jaw almost hit the ground as the said alpha took his place next to him and winked. Chanyeol looked at Baekhyun and, of course, the omega was staring right at Changmin. At that moment Chanyeol knew… He had lost.

Although this was certainly a surprise, Baekhyun didn’t really think that it was a complication. He looked at Changmin but somehow the alpha’s charm was gone. Baekhyun didn’t know if it was because he had opened his eyes about being just one of many begging for Changmin’s attention or maybe because another alpha had captured his attention. All Baekhyun knew that right now Changmin seemed interesting but… Not so inviting anymore.

_A life with him would mean dealing with constant competition._

Baekhyun didn’t want that. No, he wanted someone who would be his and his alone. Besides, the smile the alpha was sporting made Baekhyun uneasy.

_As if he’s in this just for fun or something. Heck, he didn’t even woo me!_

Then Baekhyun’s gaze travelled to Chanyeol just in time to see a tear travel down the alpha’s cheek only to land on Chanyeol’s shoe. Even if the alpha avoided his eyes, Baekhyun knew Chanyeol’s gaze towards him was always filled with love and longing. Now he understood that.

Looking between the two, Baekhyun decided to go with what his heart was saying.

_Changmin – may be something thrilling but Chanyeol… Chanyeol means home._

Now Baekhyun clearly understood that his obsession with Changmin was probably only for a thrill, for something light. He also understood that real mates need something more than that. Something that would keep them together. Something that would help them build a family.

Once the alphas were blindfolded, Baekhyun without hesitation picked the wreath that resonated most with his soul and stood in front of his chosen one, barely holding back his own tears.

_Oh come on! You didn’t line your eyes to look like a panda!_

It turned out that Baekhyun had made his choice a bit too quickly as their leader kept counting down what seemed almost never ending seconds. But when the countdown finally ended, Baekhyun couldn't help but smile like a goof, at the same time sporting the gaze of a lovesick pup.

As his blindfold was removed, Chanyeol immediately looked to the side, expecting Baekhyun to stand in front of Changmin. However, when he realized that Baekhyun was actually standing in front of him with his wreath on his head, Chanyeol broke down in tears. Most alphas behind him rolled their eyes, while Baekhyun kneeled by his side and took his chosen alpha’s face in his hands.

“Yeollie, don’t cry.”

It seemed that the words had quite the opposite effect as Chanyeol was close to sobbing when Baekhyun pressed his lips against the alpha’s.

“I love you, Yeol.”

That was enough to make the alpha get himself together.

“I love you too, Baek.”

With that Baekhyun took Chanyeol’s hand in his and the couple stood up to face their leader.

“Is there something you want to say to the other alpha?”

Not wanting to seem rude, Baekhyun let go of his alpha’s hand so that he could turn around and properly face Changmin.

“I don’t know what made you make this decision but I’m very grateful for it. However, over the past few days I’ve learned that sometimes… Sometimes it takes looking for something in the wrong places to finally find it right in front of you. I do apologize if I’ve led you on.”

Changmin seemed to take the refusal quite lightly.

“No worries, I understand. One should always listen to their heart.”

Suddenly Changmin approached Chanyeol and extended his hand for a handshake.

“He’s special. Take care of him and be good to him.”

Chanyeol accepted the handshake and nodded, hoping that the other hadn’t considered Chanyeol’s tears as a sign of him being weak. Still, they seemed to part on good terms.

As soon as they had been instructed to move to the side, Baekhyun practically cramped in Chanyeol’s arm, not letting go even for a bit, even when Eunhyuk congratulated them and complemented their perfect height difference. They stood like this till the end of the ceremony – holding hands and all too often sneaking happy glances at each other.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The concluding part of the festival was the huge celebration, which was open by the dance of the new couples. Although they hadn’t really practiced beforehand, it seemed like all wolves had learned the dance from watching it every four years as they were growing up. Some couples, like Yifan and Tao, seemed more like awkward giants, who kept stepping on each other’s shoes. Though most of them, including Chanyeol and Baekhyun, managed to get through it quite elegantly.

With Chanyeol’s hands on Baekhyun’s hips and Baekhyun’s hands around Chanyeol’s neck, both of them could really feel how true Eunhyuk’s observation about their height had been. While some couples had trouble with aligning, Chanyeol and Baekhyun got it with ease, even getting brave enough to sneak in a few pecks during the dance.

After the dances, the whole pack continued to sing and dance and just have fun. Nonetheless, the night wasn’t over yet for the new couples, as the omegas were expected to vanish at some point of the celebration so that the alphas could find them and mate with them, if they wish so.

Chanyeol kept an eye on Baekhyun the whole night but the omega didn’t seem too keen on parting anyway. Until the both of them had had a few drinks, that is. Nothing to get them wasted but enough to give them that extra boost of courage to get through with something they wanted but might be too shy to ask for.

Then the moment came. At one point Baekhyun was dancing with other omegas on the other side of the fire, then he gave a cheeky grin to Chanyeol before shifting and vanishing in the nearby woods. The action only made the alpha smile as he too shifted, ignoring the ripping of his clothes, and jumped over the fire to run straight into the woods after Baekhyun.

“Does he have to show off?”

Of course, Sehun was seeing everything in a bit grim colours right now but having his best friend dump him like this only added to his wounds.

“They’ve been waiting for so long. Instinct is instinct.”

Sehun didn’t have to look to know that Junmyeon was now occupying the seat where Chanyeol had sat earlier.

“But what about respect?”

“Instinct, Sehun. Instinct. I mean, what would you do if I gave you such a look and ran off? Wouldn’t you run after me?”

That earned Junmyeon a raised eyebrow.

“You already rejected me.”

“I was being hypothetical. Besides… I told you it wasn’t a permanent no.”

“And how do I turn a not permanent no into a permanent yes?”

“By getting to know me.”

“I know you!”

“Do you? Really? What’s my favourite colour?”

“Blue.”

The answer took the omega by surprise but he was quick to get himself back into tracks.

“That was a lucky guess. My favourite hobby?”

“Swimming.”

It was almost as if Sehun could read Junmyeon like a book and the omega didn’t know whether to take it as a complement or a warning sign.

“Ok, let me get to know you then.”

“What do you want to know about me?”

“Well… For starters, why would such a young alpha want someone as old as me?”

“Because I don’t care about the age. The difference isn’t that big either. Certainly not as big as between me and the next litter.”

Junmyeon guessed that there was some logic behind it but before the omega could ask another question, Sehun extended a hand towards him.

“Will you at least dance with me?”

The omega didn’t know what he was thinking but without much hesitation Junmyeon took the alpha’s hand and followed him towards the other dancers.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Baekhyun didn’t have to look back to know that Chanyeol was chasing. Honestly, he had no clue where he was going but somehow the surroundings seemed familiar. Then Chanyeol finally had had enough of the chase and tackled Baekhyun, with both shifting mid-way and rolling in a ball of arms and legs on the ground. Both were laughing as they fell, feeling completely unaffected by the fact that both were now naked.

As they got into a somewhat comfortable position with Baekhyun laying on his back and Chanyeol right next to him, they finally realised they were in their favourite strawberry patch.

“Really, Baek? You want us to be tinted pink?”

“Hey, thanks to Changmin, we have nothing to worry about. I bet his patch is as clean as a baby’s butt.”

“Changmin and baby butts – definitely the topics I want to discuss right now.”

Both released another laugh, feeling as comfortable as ever in each other’s presence.

“Well, then let’s talk about me choosing you.”

The sudden change of topic softened Chanyeol’s gaze as the alpha started to comb his fingers through Baekhyun’s hair, admiring how perfectly the moonlight highlighted the omega's beauty.

“I still can’t believe you did.”

“Why?”

“You’re just so… Perfect.”

“So are you. Perfect for me. And I do apologize for not seeing that earlier.”

“It’s ok. All that matters is that you see it now.”

“Yeah.”

A moment of silence set in as both were eyeing each other’s lips again before Chanyeol finally initiated the first kiss of the night. It started all soft but as soon as Chanyeol rolled on top of Baekhyun and got comfortable between the omega’s legs, the kiss got a bit more needy and messy by the minute. Their hands started to travel all over each other’s bodies and Chanyeol wasted no time, leaving feather like kisses on every little patch of skin presented to him.

As Chanyeol kissed a trail towards one of Baekhyun’s nipples and played with the little nub with his tongue, the omega didn’t hold himself back any longer and released slight moans, encouraging Chanyeol to do more. The alpha soon moved on to the other side and enjoyed how the sensitive patch of skin felt against his tongue.

Motivated by Baekhyun’s strong grip in his hair, Chanyeol moved on to kiss all over the omega’s abs, the small happy trail and the beautiful V line, tracing every muscle with his tongue. He couldn’t believe that all this was his for the taking. Deciding not to tease too much, Chanyeol easily placed Baekhyun’s thighs on his shoulders and traced Baekhyun’s pulsating hole with his tongue, evoking a gasp from the omega.

Baekhyun sure hadn’t expected such a turn but he would lie if he said he didn’t enjoy it. The sensation of Chanyeol’s cold tongue meeting his own hot body made Baekhyun only want more. He could feel Chanyeol’s spit mixing with his own juices and as if that wasn’t enough, the alpha suddenly pushed his tongue inside of Baekhyun, letting the flexible muscle roll around inside the tight ring of muscles.

“Oh, fuck.”

All the new sensations were making Baekhyun dizzy, barely able to take in air between the moans. He could feel his heart beating faster, himself getting wetter with every move of Chanyeol’s tongue. Afraid that it could prove to be too much, the omega suddenly took Chanyeol’s hand, signalling the other to stop.

“Was it bad?”

“No, but I need you. All of you.”

The smirk on the alpha’s lips returned as he lowered Baekhyun’s thighs and leaned over the omega. The mere sensation of Chanyeol’s tip brushing against his hole heightened Baekhyun’s breathing again and the omega barely contained his excitement. Chanyeol used the opportunity to tease the other a bit more, taking hold of his cock and rubbing the tip all around the leaking ring of muscles but not pushing inside.

“Yeol, come on! Please!”

“What?”

“Push inside, please!”

Leaning closer so their lips would touch, Chanyeol tried to hold Baekhyun’s gaze, enjoying the lust-filled half-hooded eyes staring back at him. Once the alpha’s cock was covered with the omega’s juices, Chanyeol decided to finally act. Holding his soon-to-be mate’s gaze, the alpha whispered against his lips.

“I love you.”

“I love you too-aaaah!”

Suddenly Baekhyun felt a sharp sensation as Chanyeol finally entered him. They practically exchanged breaths, as the alpha tried to deal with the tightness and the omega – with the sudden fullness. Chanyeol waited for a bit more so that his mate could get used to the sudden stretch although Baekhyun tightening around him every now and then was awakening something within him.

“Yeollie, move.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, please.”

Although Baekhyun did release a harsher breath when Chanyeol started to slowly pull out, the omega didn’t seem to be in a lot of pain and Chanyeol took it as a sign to continue moving. The alpha could feel his mate’s nails digging into his back but Chanyeol didn’t mind. In fact, feeling Baekhyun move him with his hands helped the alpha to find a pace that would fit his mate’s needs.

“Are you ok?”

“Fuck yeah-”

It seemed like Baekhyun wanted to say something more but the next words turned into an incoherent chain of breaths and moans. As their movements quickened, Chanyeol could feel Baekhyun loosen up and that encouraged the alpha to finally fully enter his mate, allowing skin to slap against skin. That was also the moment when the alpha managed to find Baekhyun’s prostate, nudging at it with his tip every time Chanyeol entered or pulled out.

Despite the omega’s small objections, Chanyeol pulled away far enough to be able to hold Baekhyun’s thighs, almost bending the omega in two, revealing the tempting sight. For a minute there Baekhyun wanted to protest but seeing just how turned on Chanyeol got only fuelled his own desire. Chanyeol wanted him, needed him and the omega felt the same for his alpha.

“God, you’re so fucking beautiful, Baekhyun.”

The dark lust in Chanyeol’s eyes almost left Baekhyun breathless as he had never even imagined his friend giving him such a gaze. It was raw desire and Baekhyun could feel the pheromones kicking in, making him crave even more. He could feel himself becoming wetter, earning him lewd praises from the alpha above him.

“Fuck, you're so wet and so tight.”

At this point Chanyeol had no shame left in him as the alpha openly stared at his cock sliding inside Baekhyun before observing the omega’s expression. Baekhyun was a moaning, dripping mess and Chanyeol loved every bit of it, especially the fact that he was the one who had made the omega this way.

Looking down again, Chanyeol noticed his knot growing and catching on the rim of Baekhyun’s flushed pink hole. Knowing that it signalled a soon conclusion, the alpha tried his best to deliver at least a few harsher thrusts mixed with some more dragged out ones in between. It seemed almost as if the alpha could read Baekhyun’s thoughts because each time the omega wanted to beg for more, Chanyeol delivered, at the same time slowing the pace whenever Baekhyun felt too close to the end.

Throwing a glance downwards, all Baekhyun could see was his angrily leaking cock bouncing up and down against his stomach from Chanyeol’s thrusts. He could feel the alpha’s knot growing inside him, slowly stretching his walls to the fullest. As the alpha’s thrusts slowed down, Baekhyun wanted to stroke himself off but Chanyeol quickly caught the hand reaching for his cock and intertwined their fingers instead before laying fully on top of Baekhyun again.

With Baekhyun’s cock now trapped in the friction between the two sweaty bodies, it took all his willpower to make eye contact with Chanyeol and respond to the alpha.

“I love you, Baekhyun. I really do.”

“I love you too.”

Speaking seemed hard, as Baekhyun’s throat was dry from the intense breathing and moaning but the kiss that followed effectively made him forget about it. It wasn’t as passionate as the ones before but perfectly conveyed everything the alpha was feeling for him, making Baekhyun’s heart race even faster. He just couldn’t believe someone could ever desire or want him as much as Chanyeol did in all ways imaginable.

Next the omega felt a trail of wet kisses form all over his cheek and down his neck, just as Chanyeol’s movements stopped completely as his knot had reached its full size and locked them together. Without much thinking, Baekhyun threw his head back to bare his neck to the alpha – the ultimate sign of submission. He could feel Chanyeol’s teeth scrape against his skin every now and then as the alpha was searching for the perfect spot to mark him and it was driving Baekhyun wild.

It was a matter of seconds when Baekhyun was suddenly overcome by two emotions. First, the fullness as Chanyeol exploded inside of him, releasing spurt after spurt of thick seed inside of him, making Baekhyun’s belly all full and warm. Second, the pain in his neck as Chanyeol finally marked him, sinking his teeth in Baekhyun’s skin and successfully marking the omega as his. Although the emotions greatly differed, the combination of the two proved to be a bit too much for Baekhyun as he released between them, painting their abs with strings of cum.

The rainbow of emotions struck Baekhyun, as his body was shaking from pleasure, thrill and excitement, while his vision was still completely white. He could only feel Chanyeol’s tongue sliding over the mark to close it, as well as the alpha’s hands caressing his sides. For a moment there Baekhyun thought he had heard Chanyeol say something but he couldn’t understand anything anymore. His mind went blank and he was out.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next morning Baekhyun was surprised to wake up in his and Chanyeol’s shared hut, almost making the omega wonder if it all had been a dream but the pleasant burn in his lower back quickly dismissed such thoughts. Once the omega dared to slightly move his head, he was met with the usual sight of Chanyeol calmly sleeping with half-closed eyes. Then Baekhyun’s gaze was caught by the mating mark on the alpha’s neck.

_My alpha._

Baekhyun couldn’t help but let out an excited chuckle, effectively waking the alpha wake up as signalled by Chanyeol’s eyes fully closing and a smile playing on his lips.

“Now that’s a nice noise to wake up to.”

“And this?”

Baekhyun turned Chanyeol’s face towards himself and placed a gentle peck on the alpha’s lips.

“Mmm, even better.”

As the omega got comfy to sleep again, he could feel Chanyeol’s arms pulling him closer ever so slightly.

“How did we get back here?”

“I carried you home after my knot went down. Cleaned you up and put you in bed.”

“Thank you.”

Then a sudden realization hit Baekhyun and now the omega was staring at Chanyeol with the widest eyes ever.

“No one saw us, right??”

“Of course, not. I would never let anyone else see you like that. All this is for my eyes only.’

The claim made Baekhyun smile again as he watched Chanyeol look over him with an equally fond smile.

“Good.”

A moment of just staring at each other followed before Baekhyun spoke up again.

“I love you, Yeol.”

“And I love you, Baek.”

The confessions were sealed with another kiss, the first of many in their shared lifetime filled with love, affection and utter happiness.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for making this far! Any comments/suggestions/opinions are always welcome ^^ <3


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